The Resume

(April 14, 1925-August 6, 1974)
Born in Chicago, Illinois
Tenor saxophonist
Son of pianist Albert Ammons
Member of Woody Herman’s second Herd
Recorded the albums ‘Jammin’ with Gene’ (1956), ‘Blue Gene’ (1958), ‘Boss Tenor’ (1960), ‘Boss Tenors in Orbit’ (with Sonny Stitt, 1962), ‘The Soulful Moods of Gene Ammons’ (1963), ‘Velvet Soul’ (1964), ‘Boss Soul!’ (1966), ‘Brother Jug!’ (1970), ‘The Chase!’ (with Dexter Gordon, 1971), ‘Free Again’ (1972), and ‘Goodbye’ (1975)

Why he might be annoying:

He got the nickname ‘Jug’ after bandleader Billy Eckstine told him, ‘You have a head like a jug.’
He went to prison twice on drug charges and once for violating parole.
Miles Davis said Ammons first got him hooked on heroin, when they were both members of Eckstine’s band in the 40s.
He signed away his royalties to get out of a contract with his manager.
Irony department: the last song he recorded, before being diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, was titled ‘Goodbye.’

Why he might not be annoying:

He began performing and recording with his father in high school.
His cover of ‘My Foolish Heart’ was the first single released on the Chess Records label (1950).
He was considered a founder of the soul-jazz movement.
After his final release from jail (1969), Prestige Records signed him to their largest recording contract to date.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 79]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [April] (Ranked: 4141925)
• I Abused Heroin
• I am from Chicago
• I Covered a Beatles Song
• I Covered Eden Ahbez's 'Nature Boy'
• I Covered Gilbert O'Sullivan's 'Alone Again Naturally'
• I Covered 'My Way'
• I Covered 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone'
• I Covered 'You'll Never Walk Alone'
• I Died in 1974 (Ranked: 49)
• I Died in the City I Was Born In
• I Have Bone Cancer
• Jazz Artists
• Joy of Sax(ophone)
• Look at My Airplane
• Look at My Album Cover
• My Music was Lost in the 2008 Universal Studios Fire
• Profiles 47501-47750 (Ranked: 47591)
• Sons of Celebrities

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying